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Eruption
2k5 2 - Wednesday, June 05, 2013, 5:30 PM ----------------------------------------- Geyser Crater This road, once the primary route for ground-traveling Cybertronians, stops dead at the edge of a crater with a three-hundred-meter diameter. The bottom of the crater is littered with bits and shards of broken glass and twisted metal, charred black as though by an explosion. A rare energon geyser recently erupted here, but didn't last more than a week before being destroyed, another victim of the war. The dull, tarnished old highway resumes its course on the other side of the crater. Contents: Buzzkill Obvious exits: Fly leads to Sky above Old Cybertron Highway. East leads to New Maintenance Center. West leads to Old Cybertron Highway . A deafening explosion ripples across the sky as the gunship's fuel lines finally detonate, destroying the entire craft. Shockwave touches down next to the flaming wreckage, determined to exterminate any survivors. He's badly damaged, with his hexagon chest plate shattered, one of his ear-like antennas blown off, and his hand stripped of all armouring, leaving only the skeletal inner workings. As fire engulfs the gunship, Shockwave slows his pace; it is obvious that nobody is going to be walking away from that. The scattered remains of the Insecticon horde brought with him to defend the Decepticon lines from this renewed Autobot assault flitter back and forth in the air. A few mechs land on bits of debris and start happily munching, uncaring that 75% of their brethren were annihilated. With the Autobots halted, Shockwave turns away from the gunship, looking for where Buzzkill has gotten herself. There was an underground contingent to this sudden surge as well. Buzzkill, the greatest most awesome of all Insecticons ever to grace the Decepticon ranks, is amongst her much stupider brethren; zipping around as quickly as her buzzing wings can carry her from one pile of debris to the other, harvesting them by the mouthful. With so many peons to keep fueled the honey bee has no choice but to stuff her face with whatever material she can get her jaws around, forcing it down her gullet and letting her bizarre Insecticon digestive systems convert it into the energon her kind so craves. Having stuffed her robogut with as much shuttle scrap and dead Insecticlones (it's not cannibalism if you don't enjoy it, right?) the black-and-yellow Decepticon buzzes over to the big purple Commander, transforming and landing by his side in robot mode. Seeing how damaged he is, she whips out her toolbox and plops it on the ground before popping it open and digging around inside for the materials she'll need to make repairs. "Glorious battke as always, Commander," she says in her unintentionally ass-kissing way, "Glorious perhaps," Shockwave states, "But glory was never the objective." He's scanning the horizon for any other signs of intruders and doesn't even seem to notice as Buzzkill gets out her tools. It would be well within standard Autobot operating procedures for Sky Lynx or the Aerialbots to form up a secondary assault, and Shockwave has no plan to be taken by surprise. But all he sees are Insecticons and the setting of Alpha Centauri's twin suns. <> Pause. <> there's a sudden squeal of radio feedback and Shockwave cuts the channel. Surely the Autobot jamming in the area would have dissipated with their departure? Without warning, a huge dung beetle bursts from the ground, sending a shower of metal flying all around. Drone Lead #24601 trudges over to join Shockwave and Buzzkill, staring at the pair of them like an idiot. It's clear he didn't get the radio transmissions. Behind him, a few more Insecticons crawl out of Cybertron's underground. Upon seeing the wreck of the gunship, they race over to begin eating it. A couple are set on fire as they do so but it doesn't stop them. Buzzkill ceases rifling through her toolbox for just a moment, just long enough to watch with embarassment and disappointment at the 'lesser' Insecticons walking straight into the wreckage and catching themselves on fire. The few that aren't immediately cast in flames try to eat the ones that are, thus setting themselves on fire as well. It's actually really gruesome but also kind of hilarious, or it would be if Buzzkill knew the meaning of the word. She shakes her head. To think that she could've easiily become one of those simple minded beasts if it weren't for her vastly superior programing. She says nothing as she begins work on her favorite (she's a little biased) commanding officer, making sure to repair the damage to his hexagonal chest first. Why that first? As if you really need to ask. She removes the entire translucent piece, and the shattered remains, with what is essentially a glorified crowbar and replaces it with an identical part. It should come as no surprise that she carries material /specifically/ for Shockwave's repair on her at all times. Maybe she's just really devoted to her work. Or maybe she's a little obsessed. It's probably better not to ask. Combat: Buzzkill expertly repairs Shockwave's injuries. Combat: Buzzkill is able to repair some of Shockwave's internal systems damage. Shockwave isn't looking in the direction of the Insecticons trying to eat the gunship and/or each other. He's looking at Drone Lead #24601, who's still just staring right back at them. Then, finally noticing the other Insecticons that are getting set on fire, he shouts, "You idiots! Stop being idiots!" That works, and the Insecticons on the ship scatter to go find non-flaming wreckage. There's plenty to go around but that doesn't stop them from fighting over what's there. "Well?" Shockwave prompts as the drone glances back at them. He still doesn't react to the repairs Buzzkill is conducting. "Sorry Commander, we lost them in the tunnels under Cybertron. Our, uh, our map program is all wrong down there. We kept running into dead ends and the Autobots all escaped." The beetle shrugs. "Impossible. This is Decepticon territory and those tunnels have all been charted." He finally looks down at his loyal assistant. "Buzzkill, are your drones showing any known malfunctions?" Buzzkill is already making quick work of Shockwave's skeletal arm when he addresses her. She pauses for just a second as she thinks. Known malfunctions? The entire hoard is a malfunction to her, why they ever rely on such... retarded (it's the most appropriate word she can think of in this case) soldiers is a mystery to her. Sure, their numbers are grand and they can consume as much as twice their body weight in seconds but they seem really incompetent in literally every other way. Not to mention she hasn't even really been working with them a whole lot lately. It seems that Scorn can command them way better than Buzzkill was ever able to. She has theories about this, the leading on being that Scorn promises them inappropriate favors in exchange for their services. Whether that's true or not is up to debate, but Buzzkill's preetttyyy sure that's it. She resumes her work, grafting special order purple armor onto the skeletal remains of Shockwave's hand. "Err.. not to my knowledge, Commander. They do seem to be, ah.. what's the word? Stupider than usual, sir. Whether thats a recent development or not is debateable." Scorn has arrived. Spinister has arrived. Shockwave turns his hand over as Buzzkill works on it to give her easier access to it. As each finger receives new armour plating, Shockwave curls it up as if to test it. The end result is that by the time Buzzkill is finished, Shockwave's hand is clenched in a fist. His irritation at the Insecticons mirrors Buzzkill's, but he goes to war with the forces he has, not the ones he would like to have. "No, you are correct. They *have* been stupider than normal." Shockwave taps his 'chin' with his newly repaired hand in thought. "I have noticed their performance is gradually degrading. Buzzkill, verify that Drone Lead #24601's memory core and map program is operating flawlessly. Recall, Buzzkill, that has not been long since the Quintesson Archaeonix turned them against us." For those just joining us, this is the aftermath of a pitched battle against Autobot raiders. A Bot gunship is currently down in flames. Insecticon wreckage litters the ground, but those still alive are currently buzzing around, happily eating all the debris. Spinister transforms into an Apache Attack Helicopter! A MYSTERIOUS ATTACK HELICOPTER! Spinister unfolds into his (terribly) mysterious robot mode! Also: Singe! Hairsplitter! "To be fair, Commander, he didn't exactly turn them against us. Moreso just built his own, as I'm sure you'll recall." The familiar voice of Scorn is heard after the sounds of buzzing wings and a soft landing. Where the Insecticons go, she goes, so it's no surprise to see her showing up. Besides, someone has to lead the clones better than Buzzkill. Eyeing the clones she purses lips softly for a moment before looking back to Shockwave, standing straight and folding arms behind her back. "I hope things are going well. I also hope the clones aren't proving too difficult for Buzzkill to handle, sir." She pulls on a fainty, toothy smirk. "I'd be glad to assist, if need be." HELICOPTER NOISES. A purple and turquoise attack copter sets down nearby, it's artillery batteries transforming into two smaller humanoids. Singe and Hairsplitter walk from the vehicle before it transforms into Spinister, token Decepticon quiet and intense and probably boring guy. Singe grimaces as he walks past a pillbug con feasting on a piece of engine. "Disgusting creatures. Of course, but better cannon fodder than primative monsters, right Hairsplitter?" Hairsplitter gives him a bland look as a fire ant belches a spout of flames and yells something about 'victory for the colony.' Singe looks positively insulted. "And to give one the gift of fire?" Back of the hand to the forehead. Time for drama. "Fire is the murderer's paintbrush. The clay of the truely psychotic! Not some...bugmech's plaything. Don't you agree, Spinister?" They both look back at Spinister, who says nothing. "Of course you do." And then Singe spots Scorn and Buzzkill with Shockwave. "Ah, the warring Bradybug sisters. So much for a quiet day." The three finally make their way to Shockwave and the ladies. Spinister gestures to Hairsplitter, who passes a datadisc to Shockwave. Singe begins to update Shockwave, but is interupted by Spinister, whuch surprises the hell out of him. "We have tracked a fleeing Autobot gunship to what appears to be a temporary stronghold. Heavily fortified. I have activated MAyhem Attack Squad Zeta, which includes your ex assistant Mechashoe and several Resistance prisoners. Their survival is unlikely regardless of victory. Either scenario is a positive." Singe nods. "What he said." Shockwave turns away from the Drone Lead towards the sound of Scorn's voice. Buzzkill can root around in the Insecticon's brain as needed. "Valid, but nonetheless worrying. Your assumption is correct--the clones are proving too difficult for Buzzkill to handle." Shockwave isn't trying to slam his most loyal subject, but he never cares to soften his words. This right after Buzzkill worked hard to repair him after his battle against the Autobots. Tact, in Shockwave's internal dictionary, merely redirects to Foolishness. Motioning Scorn to the Drone Lead, he states, "Your horde was unable to track down Autobots that, by all accounts, should have been trapped and destroyed. Find out what went wrong." As Spinister, Hairsplitter, and the other one land and make their report, Shockwave gives them his full attention. "I suspected as much. The trajectory of the Autobot retreat would not lead them to the closest point in their lines, suggesting they had another destination in mind. Your assessment on whether the stronghold will withstand the attack by Squad Zeta?" Blast Off has arrived. Avalanche has arrived. Scorn flicks gaze aside to view Spinister and his little crew, offering them a curt nod. She'd do a bit of a flirting, but.. Bozz is in the room, so instead she leaves it at that and looks back to Shockwave. "..Is that so?" A brows arches and a hand idly thumbs at her jawline. "Hm. I'll see to it right away, sir." Another nod before she strikes off in the direction of the Drone Lead, an unamused scowl upon her face as she grabs him by the shoulder and whirls him about to face her. "I hear you haven't been performing as you should, soldier. Do tell what went wrong, and do not think of wasting my time by lieing." The strong urge to beat him already begins to rise, but Scorn holds back and simply stares down the mech with steeled gaze. "Or I promise you'll wish Commander Shockwave took the time to deal with you instead." Scorn says, "... boss*" Spinister pauses for a moment. "Squad Zeta will be slaughtered to the last 'Con. However, the Autobots will not remain in a compromised location." Singe watches Scorn yell at her subordinate with some level of amusement, before checking his nails. "Just being near these creatures cancels out this morning's manicure." Avalanche stands off to the side of the other 'Cons, just listening to what they have to say. He remains quiet as he hasn't had a hand in recent events, and wouldn't exactly know what's going on as he hasn't read very many AAR lately. Blast Off flies by in space shuttle mode. He is searching for Swindle, who has been hard to find lately. Picking up a concentration of 'Cons with his sensors, he swings by to investigate. Ugh, Insecticons? How revolting..... Normally Blast Off would just ignore the other Cons but today, thinking that perhaps THEY know where his erstwhile teammate has gone off to, he decides to land and greet them. Besides, Shockwave is there and it might look good to at least *act* like he cares about keeping updated on Decepticon plans and status. He lands, transforming to robot mode, and walks up to the others, avoiding Insecticons wherever possible. "Greetings." Drone Lead #24601 is a big dung beetle Insecticon. He looks back at Scorn and shrugs, "It isn't my fault, Scorn. My, uh, *our* map program kept leading us into dead ends. Kept thinking we had the Autobots trapped but then they would sneak out somehow." The Drone taps its legs against the ground nervously, using its height to look over Scorn towards where more Insecticons are crawling out of the hole that leads to the Cybertronian underground. They had busted their way to the surface after the fight. As the flames begin to die on the nearby Autobot gunship wreckage, a few Insecticons are moving back to try and eat it again... hopefully without being set on fire this time. Shockwave meanwhile clearly has no concern for the fate of Squad Zeta. Being in the Mayhem Attack Squad is dangerous enough, but when you're in the /Zeta/ part of that team... well, your life expectancy is measured in breems. "Very well. Reassign a Seeker patrol to verify the base's vulnerabilities once Zeta Squad has completed its mission." Blast Off meanwhile will have a great view of the battlefield, as it's visible from miles around. There's wreckage all over the place, and it looks like the Decepticons hounded several Autobot gunships and destroyed them before they could safely flee Decepticon territory. "Blast Off," Shockwave greets evenly. "I assume the rest of our lines are holding steady...?" Spinister offers Shockwave a slight bow. "It will be done." He turns to leave, Singe following. After a moment, the two notice that Hairsplitter has not moved. Spinister stares, a betraying note of surprise flickering across his optics. Hairsplitter clears his throat. "Um, yeeeah...So.... Commander SHockwave has requested I remain to assist with a project. It's..err,...Well it's need to know." Singe, wide eyed, looks back and forth between Hairsplitter and Spinister, who looks to Shockwave for confirmation. So focused is Buzzkill on Shockwave's repairs, she has no idea that other Decepticons have joined them until she's finished and starts putting her tools away. She looks somewhat surprised at the new arrivals, or would if her face wasn't stuck in a permanent scowl that only grows scowlier when she sets her optic visor on Scorn. /Ugh/ Do we really have no other 'smart' Insecticons besides herself and that skanky ho? She gives a reluctant nod of approval her Insecticon sister's way before packing up the rest of her stuff. Scorn catches that 'my', upper lip curling just a hair in a sneer. "Is that so?" Given his altmode she knows he's adept at digging, so navigating tunnels, of all things, should have been a no brainer for him. "Your excuse holds no water." She says flatly, mouth pressing thin. "It is in fact your fault, as you are the leader of your squadron and hold full responsibility over the outcome of a mission. You have failed miserably at a simple task, and for that..." It's almost a blur when it happens, the swift flick of an arm shifting into its bladed mode heard alongside the sound of metal easily cleaving through metal like a hot knife through butter. The only other sound that follows is likely the thud of his head hitting the ground before his body. "..You are dismissed." Turning away Scorn now zeros in on Buzzkill, expression unchanging. "Buzzkill, I do believe we need a new Drone Lead out here. I suggest #57392, he's far more capable." Shockwave doesn't even realize that the Spini-trio are looking to him until they've been staring for a good 5 seconds or so. "Confirmed," Shockwave states simply with a dismissive wave of his hand, lying as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Looking over his shoulder, he watches as Scorn executes the Drone Leader and promptly assigns another one. Even Mayhem Attack Squad Zeta must be relieved they aren't Insecticons. "Buzzkill, ensure that this drone is properly analyzed to ensure there is no outside interference." He's still thinking of when Archaeonix was able to deploy his own horde against the Decepticons. Blast Off nods to Shockwave. "To my knowledge, yes. The Autofools won't stand much more chance on the perimeter than they did here." He looks approvingly around at the battlefield carnage. Focusing on the others again- Buzzkill's reaction to the newcomers would make him smirk if he had a visible mouth. She should be more alert to her surroundings. HE'd never be so distracted, of course. He spots Spinister and Singe leaving and decides to ask them a question. "Before you leave- have you seen Swindle lately? I'm looking for him." He looks around. "Has anyone seen him recently?" Really, Scorn just did what Buzzkill was considering doing anyway. In fact, there's a big part of her that's glad Scorn did it for her, saves her the trouble of dirtying up her weapons. On the other hand, Scorn totally overstepped her authority and made Buzzkill look like a chump and that's no good. Buzzkill.. doesn't look happy (how is that different from usual?) and she tries her best to bite her tongue, lest she open her mouth and look like a fool but it's sooo hard. Finally she can't take it anymore and she steps forward, tucking her toolbox back into subspace. "Scorn! I'm growing weary of you strutting around acting like you're some kind of commanding officer! The Insecticlones are MY territory, MY responsibility. You can't just waltz in here and start lopping off their heads and ordering ME around. This is insubordination at best and if you weren't my 'friend', in the loosest sense of the word of course, I would have you brigged immediately!" She gets up Scorn's face as she barks like an angry, scrappy dog with a Napoleon complex, jabbing a purple finger into her fellow Insecticon's chest. "You keep this up, however, and I cannot guaruntee that I wont take action!" She's prepared to go on, and on and on and on, but Shockwave's command causes her to just seethe silently at Scorn instead. "..Yes, Commander. Right away." Spinister takes a moment to process, staring down at Hairsplitter for a moment, before turning to leave. Singe flits into the air on his antigravs, hovering to a stop when Blast Off saddles up beside them. "Swindle? Hrm. Honestly, I haven't seen him since he sold me that defective chemical he insisted was oil." He makes a face. "Of course, the fault was mine. What should mechs know about moisturizer? Still, my elbows still look a death gray Autobot." And then the bugfight starts. Singe claps his hands. "And besides Combaticon, who cares about Swindle when we have tonight's entertainment?" He giggles. "I have no clue who I'm rooting for, of course...as long as at least one of them dies, really." Fusillade has arrived. Ravage leaves the Decepticon Shuttle . Ravage has arrived. "Swindle's whereabouts are regularly unknown," Shockwave answers in a disapproving tone. He realizes that Swindle is, perhaps, at his most effective when unbound by oversight, but Swindle's effectiveness and the Decepticons' effectiveness have not always equaled the same thing. Shockwave is about to say more when the two bugs start bickering back and forth like an old married couple. An old married couple that share about a dozen restraining orders against one another. As Scorn and Buzzkill square off, an Insecticon ant climbs of the hole leading to the underground. "Man!" he says as he transforms, "Our map is /totally off/ down there." Then he stops, looking around at the suddenly huge number of Decepticons hanging out. There weren't this many before the battle! "Uh... nevermind." The Insecticon turns around, "Oh, hey, flaming Autobot dropship. Anyone call dibs on that yet?" Scorn sends a humble nod Shockwave's way when he issues the order to Buzzkill. "Thank you, Commander." And then Buzz gets up in her face, shoving a digit against her chest and positively raving. Now, Scorn has her moments of letting loose. But today? Today she's the bigger bug, remaining rigid in her stance and holding her ground while viewing the bee with halfmast optics and a sharply cocked brow. "Oh? Well, with all do /respect/," Oh how she strains that word. "Before you took command it was in fact me who held the reins, so do excuse me as it's a bit hard to just hand them over to someone who's failed to prove their ability to lead." A slight, devilish smirk works it way onto her face, Scorn thumbing at her chin again. "If you wish to brig me, then go ahead, but you should've forget who's been pulling the strings lately while you're.. off doing whatever it is you do. Who helped lead an attack on Kwarch? On Magnaron? Who faced that /Squid/ and actually ended up bringing back a strong ally to the Insecticon ranks? Me, that's who. Not you. My achievements outweigh yours, and yet you still have trouble seeing that." Blast Off huffs at Spinister's reaction, but he can't say that he's surprised at it. Swindle has that effect on people, after all. And now HE's looking to make a deal with swindle...*shudder*. He must be insane. But at least not as insane as some of the other mechs here. Well. "A short "No" would have done nicely" he says in a mildly annoyed tone. (Which of course is his usual one.) "What exactly will be happening here?" As Shockwave speaks, he turns to look at him. (Oh my "dear" Shockwave, you have NO IDEA...... he thinks to himself.) He simply says, "Indeed." Then..."Are you in need of further reinforcements? I always enjoy some sharpshooting practice." Ravage stalks along, under cloak of course. He's paying a fair bit of mind to his sensors, moreso than the environment, but the gathering does not escape notice. He pauses, altering his course to meet the group, sensors increasing their sensitivity to capture what is taking place ahead of him before he arrives. <> Fusillade responds to Scorn as she descends on thrust-vectoring engines, the bomber pausing mid-air before transforming. The sleek bomber rears up, wings collapsing onto hips even as the rear fuselage splits to form arms. The horizontal stabilizer slides up, the forward fuselage folds up accordian style, and Fusillade hops up on thrustered feet. Fusillade idle sashays over, wingblades swishing about her hips as she does. "Commander of Kwarch, huh?" she casts her own bemused smile toward Scorn. Fusillade adds, "I mean really, if we're getting into a contest over whose past laurels are the cushiest to rest on..." Spinister transforms, Singe sitting on his landing skids, watching Scorn, Buzzkill, and now Fusillade go full Springer. And not the green one. As Spinister takes off, the Targetmaster chuckles. "If I recall, if they commanded anything on Kwarch, it was getting nearly dismantled by Metroplex and Computron." He sighs reflectively. "That Scattershot had a very well developed and entertaining personality matrix. For an Autobot, of course." Spinister transforms into an Apache Attack Helicopter! A MYSTERIOUS ATTACK HELICOPTER! Oh man, Buzzkill is just pissed as all hell now, every one of Scorn's words adding fuel to the raging inferno that is Buzzkill's anger. "You catty bitch.." she hisses, jaws clenched tight. "You being Insecticon Commander is in the past! I achieved the rank I am because of my own hard work and dedication to the Empire's cause, and for you to belittle me in such a way is insulting. Have you ever considered even for just a second that perhaps instead of running around the frontlines, soaking in as much attention as I possibly could like yourself, I'm working behind the scenes? Conducting science? Performing ecperiments to better our military?" Buzzkill's tone only grows more and more venomous with every sentence, the bee practically forthing at the mouth as she goes. "I work my ASS off every single day putting our soldiers back together! Do you know how many soldiers I refuel? Do you have any idea how much BARFING I have to do to keep this army on it's feet? No, you dont, because yoiu don't care. All you care about is yourself and your own selfish needs." Shockwave folds his newly repaired arms as Scorn lays into Buzzkill. He's about to tell the both of them to knock it off when he recalls something Megatron once said eons ago: 'They're *Decepticons*. It is in their *nature*. Best to let them get the aggression out of their system now rather than when it might matter.' There's a reason even Shockwave respected his leadership so much. To Blast Off, he states, "Spinister's Mayhem Attack Squad Zeta will be assaulting a forward Autobot outpost shortly. Casualties on our side is expected to be 100%, but we will need someone to verify that the base was indeed destroyed and pick off any stragglers." This is why you don't join Mayhem Attack Squad. Shockwave looks back as Buzzkill goes on the offensive. A wide circle of Insecticons is forming around then, cheering them on. Ravage rolls his optics. Ah, of course... Argumentative conversation, it seems. He spies Shockwave, letting his cloak shimmer briefly just to announce his presence before taking a seat beside the purple Commander without a sound to watch things unfold however they may. However, it is Shockwave's remark that draws his attention fully. "So, you need a scout?" Bludgeon descends from the Sky above Old Cybertron Highway above. Bludgeon has arrived. Blast Off thinks a moment. Wait, he's not asking him to JOIN the- no, no, he's not. Blast Off is not a coward (at least that's what he thinks) but there's no sense joining any suicide squads. Picking off stragglers, though not really worthy of a great warrior such as himself, is acceptable. "That would be my pleasure." He sees Ravage and nods to him. Fusillade glances between Buzzkill, and Scorn. Back to Buzzkill, and then back to Scorn. She pulls up a series of personnel rosters, glances back between them, before her shoulders rise and fall in a silent titter and then turns her attention to the planning done by Shockwave. "You should handicap yourself Blast Off to make it a challenge more worthy of your marksmanship." Scorn's gaze slips Fusillade's way as she asides to her, but has no time to answer seeing as Buzzkill retaliates and pulls her attentions back, her brows knitting and a scowl forming back on her lips. "And you do it well." Wow, a compliment? "But that is /not/ what a leader does. A leader doesn't remain behind the curtain, fixing the injured and working 'behind the scenes'. You have to be a figurehead, a strategist, able to wade into the thick of battle with your troops instead of hanging on the sidelines." Her tone grows a bit as well, but hardly as much as the seething bee. "You are a drone! You do the whims of others, not of yourself, and serve to support! At best you are a second in command!" At least she doesn't say Buzzkill is lowly. She respects her abilities, but just finds her unfit to be in the leader role. Boomslang has arrived. Spinister vanishes out of reality. Spinister has left. Shockwave is definitely NOT asking Blast Off to join the assault. Blast Off is too valuable to send in with those losers. Why do you think Needlenose hasn't shown up for a Mayhem Attack Squad meeting in the past six months? As Ravage approaches, Shockwave is about to give him the same scouting mission, but then thinks better of it. "The tunnels beneath this sector, Ravage. I want our maps of them verified." Shockwave steps forward, "Twenty million astroseconds ago. Ravage, do you re--" The ground vibrates. A dozen Insecticons jump into the air out of surprise. Shockwave looks down at his feet in surprise. The Insecticons still underground? The Decepticon then glances up to see if anyone has an explanation. Bludgeon goes home. Bludgeon has left. If Scorn thought Buzzkill was angry before, ho boy, she is effin' pissed. The honey bee completely snaps when Scorn dares to refer to her as a drone. "A DRONE!? HOW DARE YOU? I AM A WORKER! NOT A LOWLY DRONE!" She's practically spitting as she yells, loud enough for even the Insecticon's underground to hear her. Maybe. Maybe that's an exaggeration but it's likely, she IS pretty pissed right now. Buzzkill has had enough of Scorn's shit so she does what comes naturally to her. She reels back a hand and slaps her as hard as she can across the face. Combat: Buzzkill sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: Buzzkill strikes Scorn with her Slap! (Punch) attack! Boomslang was here the whole time behind Shockwave, he was just miscolored as Dirge until now. "Commander, should I give Swindle a call so he can make book on this bout?" Ravage is already pulling up the maps in his HUD, overlaying a few of them as he goes. "Nothing significant has changed in recent scouting efforts, however the most recent is approximately six megacycles old." He begins pulling up various sensors...only to recall the sensor relay was knocked offline. "I can attempt to remotely access the local sensors to see if-" The earth. Moves. Under his feet. He looks down, dismissing maps in favor of the sensor relay. "Give me...a few astroseconds to attempt accessing the relay. The reserves for the maintenance beacon should be intact to provide suitable power for a quick pulse reading." Fusillade ohs! as Boomslang emerges. Meanwhile, Scorn and Buzzkill wrestle in the background. "Eh, I dunno. This particular match seems to happen often enough that the bookies are kinda sick of it, yannow? Hey, did you feel that, down below?" Fusillade shifts weight on her double-thrustered heels. Blast Off remains at attention towards Shockwave until Boomslang mentions Swindle, who is the reason he came here in the first place. What? He looks pointedly at Boomslang. "Do YOU know where he is? He's not been responding to my messages..." He crosses his arms. ...Okay, she wasn't expecting that. Scorn's optics fly wide when a hand finds its way across her face, her head snapping aside from the force and body stiffening in shock. She remains this way for a few beats before everything catches back up and she slowly looks back and glares down at Buzz, a hand lifting to gently rub that side of her face. Boy does she look unhappy. And yet... the mantis doesn't strike back. No, instead she fixes the bee with a hard stare before sniffing in contempt and speaking lowly. "..You'll regret doing that." And with that said Scorn steps back, snaps open wings, and flutters off to who knows where without another word. "If he's not answering his radio then I guess it doesn't matter either way," Boomslang replies. "Last I heard he was going out into deep space on a job or something." "I'd think you'd know. Isn't that your stomping ground?" he asks Blast Off. Shockwave kneels, pressing his just repaired hand against the Cybertronian ground as if to make sure it is steady. "Scorn and Buzzkill's bickering is as irrelevant as its outcome," he replies harshly to Boomslang. "Just ensure they do not permanently damage one another," he adds as an afterthought. Fortunately it looks like they aren't, in fact, going to straight up kill each other tonight as Scorn starts to retreat. Shockwave moves his hand a few feet to the left, "I did, Fusillade. I do not understand its origin. We should know more once Ravage has acquired the pulse reading. Fusillade, do you think the Auto-" The ground tears itself apart as the crater is ripped in two. Metal shrapnel the size of small buildings flies upwards as a gaping chasm running from one end of the crater to the other forms. The crack runs straight through where the Decepticons are assembled, and the downed Autobot gunship plummets into oblivion along with several Insecticons. The two halves of the crater rush away from one another, an within seconds there's a good twenty Transformer-scale metres between them. Normally slapping things makes Buzzkill feel better, but not this time. She just stands there as if in shock by her own actions. Doesn't Scorn have all sorts of blackmail on her? In retrospect, perhaps slapping her around was a poor choice. Buzzkill can only watch as her Insecticon sister flutters away in silence, hand slowly lowering back to her side. "Damn it.." She bites her lip and turns around, only to see a gaggle of generic Insecticons staring at her. "What the hell are you idiots gawking at!? Get back to work!" she snaps, but to no avail, they just keep staring. Eventually she pulls out her gun and starts shooting at them, nailing one of them in the gut and sending him toppling backwards into his buddies. "GET YOUR ASSES BACK TO WORK NOW BEFORE I REALLY LOSE IT!" What a great leader. "GAHHHH!" is all that Shockwave gets in reply from Fusillade, who immediately takes to the sky with a brilliant flare of cyan thrusters. "YOU CAN FLY, STOOPITSSSS!" she yells at the other Decepticons, in an attempt to get them to remember their training. Perhaps those numerous holoroom sessions weren't in vain? "What do I think the Autobots did? Not keep up with building code, that's for sure. Hmm. Wonder if there's been additional excavation, certainly would explain how they've been holding off our attacks so well. I'm still mad about not being able to hold the outskirts of Crystal City!" <'Cybertron'> Scanners across the Transformers' homeworld suddenly begin firing off alarms. A huge seismic disturbance stretching the entire Geyser Crater--Decepticon territory--has been picked up. The neighboring sectors of the Old Maintenance Center and parts of the Old Cybertronian Highway are reading aftershocks. The damage to them should be minimal, but the crater--such as it was--won't be safe for long. "I think I have a reading, coming in-" The ground suddenly opens and a distracted Ravage finds himself falling as he scrambles to dismiss his HUD, clawing at the ground to pull himself clear of the chasm. It's a very...difficult ordeal, one which almost sees him not quite making it, but he at least manages to find purchase. One cat, dangling halfway over the ledge. Blast Off rolls his optics slightly. (*Of course*, just his luck- he's going off into deep space just as *I* need to find him...) He replies sarcasticly, "You think?" He keeps his arms crossed and says, "I can track him down then, once I know where he's going. I suppose Onslaught will know. If *anyone* does. But that's questionable. This is Swindle." Then the ground caves in all of a sudden. "What?" Blast Off wastes no time catching some air. Scorn vanishes out of reality. Scorn has left. <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Somebody that's sneaky look into that, I'm trying to track this shipment." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Aren't you the sneaky one? I can watch over a shipment, if that frees you up to do, whatever it is that you do." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Eh, not so much. Tell you what, Hardhead, you don't have to be sneaky, so you look into it if you want." Shockwave isn't as fast as Fusillade, and as the ground opens up beneath them, Shockwave starts to fall. It's only because of a last ditch grab with his hand--again, thank you very much for that Buzzkill--that he's able to snag onto the very edge of the cliff that's been formed. Before Shockwave can activate his boot rockets, one of the dead Insecticons crashes into him, crushing him against the wall and flattening his legs. The Insecticon bounces off into the depths. Shockwave tries to look behind him, and he can see that on the cliff opposite of him Ravage is just about to fall as well. He has no way to help the Cassetticon, though. Deep into the chasm, there are glittering pinpoints of lights, almost like one would see when viewing an Earth city from orbit at night. The ground continues to violently shake, and Shockwave nearly loses his grip. "I suspect the Autobots are not the cause," Shockwave replies loudly to Fusillade. Unless it's Repugnus's fault, anyway. <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Eh, not so much. Tell you what, Hardhead, you don't have to be sneaky, so you look into it if you want." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "I did...land. I would wager that had nothing to do with it, though. It never has before." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "I'll try, but it'll be really hard." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Maybe you gained some weight" <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "I know. But I believe in your ability to lie through your teeth. *sound of a wry chuckle*" <'Autobot'> Torque says, "I think that's on his resume." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "I did have my armor replaced recently. Hmm." Boomslang fires his engines up as well and rockets upwards as the ground falls in before him. He attended that seminar! He learned a lot from it. "Maybe we should have some more of those classes." Ravage takes his time to collect his actions and get his servos in gear. One careful movement after another to dig his claws into the ground and gain purchase, slowly inching his way up to safety. <<'Shockwave', I was unable to complete rendering of the sensor output. I am uncertain what the cause.>> He continues working his way up. Hardhead has arrived. With a disdainful shrug, Blast Off transforms into a space shuttle. Combat: Ravage compares his Technical to 70: Success! Fusillade gesticulates wildly toward Shockwave. "Well let's save them at least," she says to Boomslang as she hovers over the gargantuan rift that has just torn itself across the face of the crater. As if fearing the chasm will snap back on itself as suddenly as it formed, she gingerly drops below ground level into the glittering abyss. "Wonder what all those lights are for," she murmurs to herself as she moves toward Shockwave's location. "And where'd Ravage go?" Space Shuttle <'Blast Off'> transforms into shuttle mode and flies toward Shockwave. "Need a lift?" he asks calmly. Ravage will just have to get by on his own, because, well, Shockwave's higher ranking. Buzzkill vanishes out of reality. Buzzkill has left. Making the mistake of drawing the shortest straw and being the closest Autobot to the Crater, Hardhead slowly makes his way between pieces of cover in order to gain some type of vantage point...in the vague hopes of gathering some type of intel. He manages to wedge himself between some twisted shards of metal in glass, hoping to obscure his bulky frame. He pauses to listen, fists clenched tightly at his side. Ravage is still working his way up the cliff face, turning to glance down... Wait. <> He checks the status of his cloak and systems, then back down again. <<'Shockwave', I have a hunch. Cloak is activated, emergency beacon will activate of its own accord should things go...poorly.>> He kicks off the edge of the cliff and rights himself to drop down. Hey, cats always land on their feet, right? Shockwave is still holding on with his hand, so he holds his gun arm up so that Blast Off has something to grab in order to hoist him up. He's a beefy Voyager class character, but only having one hand means he can't spare another one to grab onto the Combaticon. "Affirmative," he replies to Blast Off. He *would* tell Ravage not to do what he's about to do, but it's too late and the Cassetticon is gone. For any dogooders just joining us, this was the site of a brief fight between the Decepticons and Autobots. Several Autobot gunships flew over enemy territory, bombed several third-line outposts, and retreated. At least one gunship was shot down, but any Autobot who pays attention to their military movements should know about the operation. The crater is littered with dead Insecticons, and now there's a huge crack that runs from one side of the crater to the other. Looking down, one can see hundreds of tiny points of light in the darkness. <'Decepticon'> Shockwave says, "Fusillade, did you see where Ravage fell?" <'Decepticon'> Fusillade says, "No, no I -don't-! He's tiny and... dark." Blast Off shifts into his battle-ready robot mode. Fusillade continues to hover, finally moving close enough to one of the sheer vertical faces of the rift to reach out and lightly touch it. "I think that he is intentionally moving deeper, Shockwave," she reports, elaborating on her earlier radio report. <'Decepticon'> Shockwave says, "Ravage, do you read us?" Blast Off notices the fact that Shockwave is going to have difficulty just "hopping on". Oh. *inner facepalm* Ok, then, he transforms back to robot mode and flies down to grab the Decepticon commander. Which is not easy, given Shockwave's size. In his smaller (than his shuttle) robot mode, he strains to keep Shockwave airborne while awaiting further instructions. Gathering his courage again, Hardhead lifts his head to peer down into the crater, his optics looking for any sign of the Gunship that failed to report in. Hardhead's attention is drawn to the dead Insecticons, he mentally tries to calculate the number but fails after a moment. Furrowing his focus, his optic bar is drawn towards the crack in the crater, and the numerous points of light. "Primus..." He whispers softly to himself. He lowers his head back down, attempting to figure out what exactly the Decepticons are doing. <'Decepticon'> Ravage statics... "I am here... A building. Cybertronian. You will see it soon enough. I will try to get inside, but clear the crater immediately." <'Decepticon'> Boomslang says, "Already cleared it." Ravage grunts as he lands, rolling from the impact and inertia until he's able to upright himself. Looking about, the sight actually...surprises him. Optics adjust quickly to the dark as he begins to prowl, looking for a means into the ... thing he's managed to land himself upon. Boomslang disappears into a small crowd of other seekers who are milling around filling background layers. <'Decepticon'> Ravage says, "Good...it's moving swiftly." Shockwave is also not made solely of plastic like many Deluxe scale Transformers, too, which makes him even heavier. Shockwave holds onto Blast Off tightly as the Combaticon lifts him up. Pointing down at the ground with his gun arm, he states: "There." It's a good distance away from the crevasse. With relief, the Decepticons get another transmission from Ravage. Soundwave would kill them if they let Ravage die. Away from the action, Hardhead will find that there is plenty of cover. The crater is usually a mess, and after the battle it's even more so. There's Insecticon wreckage all over the place. Even better, everyone's attention is focused elsewhere. The cliff face that Fusillade is touching is rough. The metal ground was violently torn in two, and there's many jagged edges that one could cut themselves on. Below, the lights are rising, and a large black shape can be seen. Fusillade glances down quizzically at the rumbling and the movement of lights. They seemed to be getting... closer? She double-takes, and then gets moving based on Ravage's radio announcement. "Clear the chamber! Decepticons, rise up!" She kicks into military thrust, straining upward to gain altitude quickly! Blast Off is a little too occupied with staying airborne right now to say much. He simply flies the Commander to the location pointed to and gives Shockwave to opportunity to hop down. Frowning as he can't gather enough intelligence from his current position, Hardhead slowly begins to worm his way closer and closer to the edge, on his way he finds a rather larger Insecticon Husk that he grabs to hold in front of him, providing some vague covering and a shield if needed. Dancing the husk infront of his frame, Hardhead finally makes his way to the edge of the crater, peering down into the crater, he double takes as it appears that the lights are rising and a large black shape begins to break through the surface. The headmaster stares, his jaw dropped open. <'Decepticon'> Ravage says, "This building. We must claim it and swiftly." Ravage has seen enough and begins to move more swiftly, room by room, until he comes across the medbay nestled within the bowels of the building. Moving towards one of the computers, he takes a seat, thin mechanical and electrical manipulators already snaking out from his tail to begin interfacing. <> <'Decepticon'> Fusillade says, "I will sweep the local airspace and any open ground areas." Shockwave touches down on the ground, and he gives the Combaticon a nod. "You have my gratitude, Blast Off," he states. Given Shockwave's lack of personal skills, the fact that he's thanking Blast Off is telling of just how grateful he is to have not fallen into that crack. The husk that Hardhead uses was once a big Hercules Beetle. Its body is riddled with armour piercing rounds, presumably from one of the Gunships. The fact that there's bullet casings all over the place suggests the Bots put up one hell of a fight. At Fusillade's command, the Insecticons flee from the crevasse. Soon there's nobody standing by it except for the semi-disguised Hardhead. The black building, with lights shining through the windows, rises up from the crack, jutting upwards into the sky. Ten stories... twenty... thirty... forty stories in all rise above the ground before finally coming to a halt. The tower has a square-like shape to it, with sharp edges at the corners. There's doors on the ground level, though most of the windows are not locked. The building looks very much like a pre-war apartment building in new condition. Someone living here would have to be decently well off--back when Transformers actually had actual jobs outside of killing each other. Gaining altitude, Fusillade transforms back to her larger, faster mode, and begins to spiral out from the eastern edge of the crevasse. From this vantage point, she gets a pretty impressive view of the tower as it grinds up and finally locks into place. Glittering in aloof menace, the sleek commands a lot of attention, and her efforts at canvassing the area do not reveal Hardhead's position. <> Fusillade leans forward, wingblades whipping out to their full span, even as her arms lock backward in place as the rear fuselage. Her torso folds out to the become the cockpit of a Terran B-1B Lancer, ready for flight! <'Decepticon'> Ravage says, "It is empty... The facilities are...archaic, but it has survived this long unscathed and in pristine condition. Medical facilities and various other accomodations would be of prime use to the Autobots or Rebellion factions. This is something that needs to be controlled." Watching as the Building Rises! Hardhead's optics drift up...and up...and up...and up...until he topples over backwards sliding back down the outer crater edge, the husk of the Big Hercules Beetle landing on top of his frame, fortunately obscuring his frame and readings from Fusillade's scans. Hardhead lays still for a long couple of moments, before shifting the bug in order to stare at the building. His optic bar flickers as he can vaguely recognize the style of building...Highbrow may have lived in something like that, but he NEVER could afford something like that. Sighing to himself, Hardhead for once wished he paid more attention in science class. Blast Off nods in return to Shockwave and keeps himself from raising an optic at the Commander's "thanks". Interesting. While he wouldn't have actually cared much one way or another if Shockwave had actually fallen in, it doesn't hurt to be on Shockwave's "good side." As the building rises up, he hovers for a moment, just taking it in, then kicks in his leg thrusters and flies up towards Fusillade. "What is it?" <'Decepticon'> Shockwave says, "Agreed, Ravage. Fusillade, assign a garrison." <'Decepticon'> Fusillade says, "Hnn, blended forces then. Going to need lots of tunnel coverage." Ravage starts scouring the system for security lockdown capabilities, as well as the building's blueprints, feeding everything he finds directly to Shockwave...once he's scrubbed it for potential viruses, of course. <'Decepticon'> Shockwave says, "It is logical to assume the Autobots are aware of the disturbance, even if not the full extent of this... unexpected development. I suspect they will initially attempt to investigate rather than carry out a full assault." Space Going B-1R Lancer dips one wing as she banks in a lazy circle over the tower. As Blast Off joins, she remarks, "Looks pretty slick, whatever it is. Galvatron's gonna LOVE it! And old, too, I haven't seen any new construction within the past half million vorns that looked like that! More importantly, why did it show up now? And how many other whole buildings are just hanging out under the surface that no one knows about?" She mentally begins assigning forces to secure the facility. <'Decepticon'> Fusillade says, "My immediate access to such forces is relatively limited." <'Decepticon'> Shockwave says, "Understood. Do what you can." <'Decepticon'> Ravage says, "I am checking the systems to see what capabilities it has for lockdown and control. Basic security, it can be assumed, is here. Somewhere." Blast Off hmmms. "Yes, that is a good question...." He flies up, admiring the construction. Fusillade is right, it is old and well-crafted. MUCH better than the cheap stuff they build nowadays. "Do you see a way in from the top?" Shockwave looks to the horizons as well as if he can see Autobots before Fusillade would be able to scan them. He knows full well the Aerialbots and Sky Lynx are active on Cybertron, and he still worries they're going to charge over and start tearing apart their weakened force. The Insecticons are buzzing around aimlessly. Without Scorn or Buzzkill to tell them what to do, and with their numbered already severely depleted from the fighting, they aren't going to be much help. One of them even looks straight at Hardhead's 'disguise', squints, and then flutters off again without saying anything. Inside the building, Ravage will find that this is definitely civilian oriented. The only security measures are that the doors can be locked and there's an automatic alarm in the event of a fire or EMP burst. Even if someone couldn't pick the locks, most Transformers could blast or smash their way through. There's certainly a lot of living space available, though. One could enter from the top, as there's a door that leads to the roof. "This one was certainly not just hanging out under the surface," Shockwave calls out even as he stares up at the building. "The Insecticons had this entire underground sector chartered and there was no sign of this. The architectural design may be from the past, but I do not see any signs of wear or tear that would affect a building millions of years old." Ravage engages the locks. All of them. Routing the codes to Shockwave before making his way out of the building to meet everyone at the entrance proper. "Commander, the building is as secure as can be." <'Cybertron'> The seismic tremors from the Geyser Crater are subsiding, though the occasional aftershock can still be detected. After he stops hearing the buzzing of the other Insecticons, Hardhead finally shucks his cover, the remaining bits of Insection Bug Juice drips down his face and his frame...He stands up to take long shot of his combat recorder, capturing brief glimmers of the Decepticons swarming the new building. He then quickly turns and begins to hoof it back out, ducking between cover and cover, hoping to escape with his life... Combat: Hardhead begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Shockwave and Space Going B-1R Lancer "Well maybe someone just really has a love of the classics," FusillDe replies, trying to puzzle out the inconsistancies in what they know and what they're seeing. "Hmm, there may be an entrance up top, but it won't do us any good since it's locked now." She waggles wings, indicating Ravage below and descending to join him. <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Th' frag was that?" <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "Hardhead is on site, I believe." <'Autobot'> Hardhead clicks his radio for the code of the day for Retreating, Report when safe. Hardhead moves west to the Old Cybertron Highway . Hardhead has left. Shockwave walks up to the front of the building. The double doors are glass, and though locked it's painfully obvious that he could just smash his way through, or spend about fifteen seconds cracking the lock. The encryption code isn't even close to being military grade. "Ravage has supplied us the codes," he tells Fusillade. "If our forces in this sector require housing, Fusillade, I believe we can now accomodate them." It may not be tough but it's definitely the biggest barrack here in the middle of no-where. Ravage reclaims his spot by Shockwave's side, falling silent once more as he runs over everything he's collected. "I will see about wiring a sensor network underneath, for the tunnels. It will not be as sophisticated as Cuprahex, but the building has alarms I can patch them into to offer warning in the event of intrusion." "And once Fusillade has at least a partial garrison here," Shockwave replies to Ravage, "I shall have the Constructicons begin installing reinforcements." He is still looking up at the building. "Do you recall the outbreak of the war, Ravage?" Ravage looks at the building. "I recall everything, Commander." He is silent for a moment. "Cybertron is shifting. This will not be the only one to arise in this fashion." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "Good job, Hardhead." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Eh." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Gratz on not dying." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Duros thanks you." Shockwave is already thinking back to when these types of buildings were common across Cybertron. When the war broke out he had quickly devised a method of annihilating the whole place with a few well placed shots. This one wouldn't be allowed to suffer the same fate, though. Were Shockwave a sentimental sort, he'd marvel at the fact that a brand new peaceful structure has appeared, and already the Decepticons are gearing it up for war. "I calculate, with nearly 100% certainty, Ravage, that you are correct." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "Hmm. I will have to find my old charts. A residential building... curious." "Now the challenge comes. Finding out 'why now'? and acting on that." Ravage glances over the crater. "If Cybertron is changing, it will be for a reason. Coming back to life in full, perhaps. Why that is...is a mystery I will not be able to solve by scouring tunnels." He is silent for a moment longer. "Refugees will swarm this place soon." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Looked real nice. Kind of place I wouldn't have been allowed in...and that would let Repugnus in through the backdoor. Might check with Mirage. He seems to know a lot about High Society and might know something about the building." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Hmm, so there was a gunship missing?" <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "Do we know which crew is missing? I will call for a status report from our teams...." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Found the wreck, but no survivors?" Blast Off follows Fusillade back down towards the others, landing gently on the ground beside Shockwave and Ravage. He listens to Ravage talk about rufugees swarming the place. "I certainly hope not. An old structure like this deserves better than a bunch of grimy riff-raff pawing around on it. I'd be happy to keep them away. ...If you'd like. <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Negative to finding the wreck. But it hasn't reported back in. Nu Company's Gunship. I didn't detect any bots at the crater..." "Any refugees attempting to utilize our new garrison will be made examples of," Shockwave says. "Blast Off, you may consider that a mandate." Shockwave has a very low opinion of Empties, and rarely even bothers spending the ammunition to shoot them down. "As for *why*, we do not have all the answers, but the root cause will surely be Cybertron's move." Flashback: In 2029, a solar storm threatend to destroy the Cybertron as it drifted far between stars. A desperate gambit resulted in spacebridging the planet to Alpha Centauri, where Cybertron has access to solar energy once again. Ravage looks towards Blast Off, then Shockwave. No expression is given. "Understood." He stands. "I do believe I shall return to Darkmount and prepare for the tunnel-diving that will have to occur to properly secure this place." Fusillade vanishes out of reality. Fusillade has left. <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Nuts. Maybe I should have looked into it after all--mighta been able to see their life-signs, if there were any." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "No wreck, and no 'bots. Hm. Well we can't say there were no survivors, yet, then." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Told you I wasn't built for recon. Based on the Decepticon's actions, they didn't seem too concerned about stray Autobots." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Weird." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Which could be for a variety of reasons." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "What was that squad doing before they went missing?" <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Blurr. Grow. Up. If you list them as M.I.A. then Command will sacrifice resource after resource trying to safe, 'Bots that in all likelihood are deactivated. Leave no 'Mech behind, I get it...but sometimes you /just/ solider on. They were attacking the Decepticons...the Decepticons won. They haven't reported back in. They don't show up on IFF. They didn't send an S.O.S." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "He's right, you know." <'Autobot'> Dealer says, "Gosh, he is. It's sad, but nothin' we can do will bring them back." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "I will send Steeljaw to validate this. He knows how to avoid trouble." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Aw don't be so rough on 'im, he's juss' a damn optimist." <'Autobot'> Dealer says, "Best thing you can do is go out there and take just as many 'cons away." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "What exactly are we babbling about this time?" <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Well, that's one option, Dealer, but then the bots start blubbering about revenge not solving anything." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Revenge is FUN, that's what matters." <'Autobot'> Dealer says, "I.. I'm not much of a fighter, but I think that we can't let it get to us. We just gotta go there and when they hurt us, hurt them right back? We're Autobots not mecha-sissies right?" <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "And as for you Mirage, where were you? I had to send Hardhat out because you were too busy arguing with Cliffjumper or something!" <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Dealer, that is not tactically sound. War isn't about revenge. It is about progress and achieving goals." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "War is annoying." <'Autobot'> Air Raid says, "Tch." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "Do not worry about where I am and what I do. Rest assured, it is more than you do." <'Autobot'> Dealer says, ".. maybe not, like I said. I'm not a soldier." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "War, never changes." <'Autobot'> Dealer says, "It just hurts when I see our people not coming home." <'Autobot'> Dealer says, "And I can't help but think we gotta make the stupid 'cons feel the same way." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Oh, I got plenty of authority to track everything you do, and the olfactory and vision sensors to do it with! Granted, I'd probably get bored of doing it after a while, but until then I'd be REALLY annoying, Mirage!" <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "So YEAH." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "That implies there is time when you aren't /really/ annoying." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "...good point!" <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "I am on fire today." <'Autobot'> Mirage hmph. <'Autobot'> Air Raid cackles. <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "I've never seen so many mechs /want/ to continue a war. Inconceivable." Blast Off nods to Shockwave. "It will be my pleasure. No empties will sully this place while *I* am around." Shockwave nods his farewell to Ravage and turns back to the Combaticon. "Ultimately, Blast Off, when old, yet prestine building are appearing in otherwise dead zones without explanation, Empties are the least of my concern." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "I would prefer the war end, to be quite honest." <'Autobot'> Hardhead softly. "Aye." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Mirage, did you check the report?" <'Autobot'> First Aid says, "Me too. Imagine all the things we could accomplish if we weren't spending all of our time killing each other." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "Which one? There are many. And most of them bore me." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Hnn. Hardhead's. They were thinkin' you might know somethin' about the fancy buildin'." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Next time, I'll make sure to include the Style Report, let you know where the next dinner party is." <'Autobot'> Torque says, "Reminds me of the high risers back on Monacus." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "Amused. I'm sure." <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Did this apartment have a name? Like Prissy Bots' Rest or something?" Blast Off says, "oh, well..." Blast Off's optics blink. "Yes. Of course." Well, now he just feels stupid. And he hates feeling stupid. He crosses his arms again and changes the topic. "This is, of course, very odd." trying to sound intelligent again, he asks, "Do you have any ideas on how to shift this planet back on course?'" "Shift... this planet back on course?" Shockwave asks, confused for a moment. "Why would we do that? Cybertron is returning to its glory days." Shockwave takes a step towards Blast Off. "If these trends continnue, soon it will be capable of supporting a war machine capable of bringing the galaxy to its knees. This process may be... destructive..." Shockwave gestures absentmindedly at the crack that the building is jutting through, "But the end result is that this is our opportunity to achieve complete. Decepticon. Supremacy." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Didn't catch it, if it did." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "You get invited to those fancy places Torque?" <'Autobot'> Repugnus says, "Yes, but not to live there, if you catch my drift." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Ya'll need to learn yer manners!" <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "I do not." Dead End says, "I think it's because they screwed up, and Knock Out is actually Dead End." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Oh for-!" <'Autobot'> Torque says, "Hmph, shut it, Repugnus." <'Autobot'> Repugnus snickers! <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "I suppose I could look into this building situation if I must. I do not see what use it would be." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "I think I missed something..." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "If the Decepticons occupy it, there is a reason. If we can find out that reason, we can deal with the repercussions accordingly." <'Autobot'> Torque says, "But nah. Would've been nice, but a wrench head like me wouldn't have fit around there, unfortunately." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "But Hardhead, what if they /are/ still out there, and waiting for an extraction team? What if they /DO/ die because we gave up on them? Yeah we shouldn't pour /everything/ into searching for them, but we shouldn't just give up, either. Besides, they might have answers. In fact they might have crucial information regarding what the Decepticons were up to." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "War isn't just about combat. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much firepower you have, if the enemy gets the jump on you..." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Blurr. War is about achievable goals. Not false hope. If they are out there, then they know we aren't likely to come, so they will make plans. If we start hanging around and sending in troops, the the Decepticons may start to wonder why. Start looking for them, if they survive. The /Whatifs/ of War will drive you nuts. That is why all you can do is make your best guess and Solider On." <'Autobot'> Torque says, "..He has a point, Blurr. And you saw all those Cons all over the building. It'd be almost impossible to get in there." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "But we have to pursue every possible avenue. Like I said, they could have answers. Information that could save millions more." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "We /can't/ just give up on that." <'Autobot'> Broadside says, "Eh don't dwell on it, we'll wreck 'em soon enough. WRECK N' RULE." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "No. We don't. There are risks we all take...every time we go out there. You think I want to give up? NO! It is just the reality of the situation..." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "We could just forget about all of this and simply ignore the Decepticons until they get bored and go away." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "You talked about progress, and achieving things. Well, information is crucial to progress." <'Autobot'> Torque says, "wow, that's.. a terrible idea, Mirage. Sorry." <'Autobot'> Blurr snorts. "You're joking, right Mirage?" <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "Oh, I'm sorry. Killing each other every day is working so much better. My humblest apologies." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "You can't possibly be that stupid." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "I think you forgot the part about how they're trying to kill us, too." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Yes it is. But information is always evolving, fleeting in danger. We know there is a building. We can gain the information we need by other means. Blurr. Sometimes it just can't be done." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "You don't know that." <'Autobot'> First Aid says, "Believe me, I know how you feel, Mirage. Sometimes it feels like no matter what we do we're just making things worse and spreading the war everywhere we go." <'Autobot'> First Aid says, "But you have to remind yourselves about the people we've saved." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "No. I don't. But the odds favor me. Math is harsh that way." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "I thought I stated that I will have Steeljaw search the crew out?" Triggerhappy descends from the Sky above Old Cybertron Highway above. Triggerhappy has arrived. Blast Off falters a bit and tilts his head at Shockwave. Ok, that wasn't exactly what he was expecting to hear... but then again, it's Shockwave. What exactly is going on in that cyclopian head of his is hard to truly fathom. "Well, that's..."*searching for words*..."Logical, I guess. So Cybertron itself may be destroyed? I mean, (he's quick to add) *I* wouldn't care, one way or the other... one planet is much like the next." "A distinct possibility," Shockwave concedes, "But Cybertron as a lifeless husk holds no strategic value to us. Cybertron reborn can mean the galaxy. Our homeworld's destruction is an acceptable risk." Shockwave served as Megatron's Guardian of Cybertron for four million years, but nostalgia holds no sway over him. Combat: Shockwave expertly repairs Cybertronian Turbo-Thrust Jet Fighter 's injuries. Combat: Shockwave is able to repair some of Cybertronian Turbo-Thrust Jet Fighter 's internal systems damage. Blast Off says, "Hmmm." Blast Off looks over the battlefield and considers the destruction of the entire planet. He had not really considered it before... usually everyone is trying to gain control of the planet, not destroy it. Being *slightly* more sentimental than Shockwave, he feels a slight twinge of sadness at the thought of Cybertron's end. But he isn't anywhere near as sentimental as some, and being a space shuttle, he is well aware that far grander things exist out there. "It would be an unfortunate, but acceptable, loss. It makes little difference to me." He shrugs, then considers something. "But- if you have the time, which of course you may not, but...IF you have the knowledge of its demise and the time, I would appreciate a little advance warning before the planet is destroyed. Let me get myself and my teammates off before it goes."" <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Since when were /you/ able to do math like that, hm?" <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Aye. War is Math...plain and simple. Since I have watched more 'Mechs die than you have fans." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Show me some real numbers, and I'll believe you." <'Autobot'> Torque says, "Ergh. C'mon Blurr, don't start.." <'Autobot'> Air Raid says, "Be the bigger mech! Don't engage him!" <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Whatever, I don't care what you say, Hardhead. If /I/ have to search for them myself, I will!" <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "And you sure as hell can't stop me." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "We save some and there will be more to save after that. And then more. And then more. And then more." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "I won't stop you. If you insist on going, then I shall go with you. Best not to die alone." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "I thought I stated that I will have Steeljaw search the crew out?" <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Come with me? I thought you wanted to give up on that. And Mirage...just stop, please." <'Autobot'> First Aid says, "Look, I... I don't think there's much hope, but Blurr? I will go with you." <'Autobot'> Mirage says, "Interesting. Many mechs speak about what I speak about, yet, I am the one told to no longer voice my opinion." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Blurr. I still don't think they are alive. And even if they are, I still don't think it is wise for us to go. Sky Lynx is sending Steeljaw...but if you insist on going, then I will go with you, because no one should die alone." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "This is turning into a larger mission than anticipated. I will not reject the voluntary offers to go. I will recall Steeljaw. But keep an open comm on you at all times." <'Autobot'> Hardhead says, "Primus." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Even if they're dead, they could still have valuable information on themm." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Or there could be something on the wrecked ship that might be useful." <'Autobot'> Chromedome says, "Blurr does have a point, sometimes our fallen comrades do still retain some.. intel possibilitis." <'Autobot'> Blurr says, "Primus. Finally, someone who has some remnant of common /sense/ in their neural circuits." <'Autobot'> Sky Lynx says, "Then it is settled. Blurr, as this will be taking place behind enemy lines, see to the organization and execution of the recovery effort. Bring back intel and send our fallen comrades off in a fitting manner. If they cannot be recovered, then do so on-site. They are Third Air Strike, an explosive sendoff is fitting for us." "I am glad we agree," Shockwave deadpans in a tone that suggests that everyone agrees with him anyway because he's always right. "Should Cybertron no longer be viable, I assure you we will take full advantage of its demise by evacuating, leaving as many Autobots to die as possible, and spreading out to other solar systems to continue our conquest. The Decepticons have always been resilient, and the mere destruction of our home world will not stop us." It's possible Shockwave misinterpreted Blast Off's question and thought the Combaticon was talking more about the faction's well being as a whole... instead of just the Combaticons'. Please wait 2 seconds before nominating someone else. Blast Off blinks again. He actually DID just mean the Combaticons (like he cares about any of these other losers- except maybe Misfire.... he might save him just to keep well supplied with Energon flasks....) But he's not telling Shockwave that. He nods. "Indeed." And leaves it at that. Reports Message: 9/10 Posted Author KNUJ: Quake Strikes Cybertron Wed Jun 05 Shockwave ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This... is KNUJ. A Junkion looks up from behind his news desk towards the camera. "Good evening, I'm Tronburgandy." Yes you're damn right he has the stache. "You might remember me from such newscasts as 'CyberGONE: Transporting Cybertron to Alpha Centauri', 'The X-Rated Adventures of Llyra', and 'The Nespa Chronicles: The Happiest Yeti That Ever Was'." "But today I'm here to give you a breaking news update!! A massive quake has struck the Decepticon Geyser Crater sector on Cybertron, creating a twenty kilometre long tear in the ground that stretches nearly the entire length of the crater. All this can be yours for just nine simple payments of $9999.99!! The low calorie quake that tastes great and is less filling was felt as far as the Old-- excuse me, *New* Maintenance Center." The screen shows an eye-in-the-sky view of the Geyser Crater. The earthquake has caused a huge crack to appear in the ground. The most notable part, though, is that out of the crack is a large, forty story building jutting up into the sky. The building is black, but the interior lights can be seen through the windows. Tron reappears. "But wait, there's more! That building you see there was not there before, but with our new Windex formula it shows up as clear as day. So easy even your husband could do it!" Tronburgandy waggles his moustache. "We now go live to our senior It Looks Like A Pre-War Apartment Building Correspondant, Reporto." The view changes to another Junkion. "It looks like a pre-war apartment building!" Reporto shrieks. "Thanks Reporto," Tron says. "We'll have more on this story as it develops. Until then, stay classy Cybertron." Decepticon Message: 2/103 Posted Author AAR: Geyser Crater Thu Jun 06 Shockwave ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shockwave appears on the screen from his throne room in Darkmount. "Decepticons, as has been reported by various neutral agencies, Cybertron's rebirth has struck the Geyser Crater sector. During the aftermath of a running battle against an Autobot strike force, the crater split apart in two due to a powerful quake originating deep underground. Ravage descended and discovered a pre-war style building rising to the surface. After securing it, we began our analysis." The image changes from Shockwave to view this square-ish building. It's forty stories, black, and fairly upscale. Surrounding the tower are now several smaller buildings that look like they would have once provided commercial services. The complex might make some remember the good old days before the Straxus and Alpha Trion's feud went global. Or the bad old days if you love shooting people. Decepticons and Insecticons are milling about around the complex. Interior shots show that everything is functional, clean, but empty of all furnishings. "Three additional constructs have since risen in the geyser," Shockwave provides as a voice over. "Despite the age of their architecture, it is clear that these buildings are new, unfurnished, and built to civilian standards. This was *not* simply hidden for the last five million solar cycles. Fusillade will be assigning a garrison and Ravage handling security until the Constructicons can reinforce the complex." The view returns to Shockwave. "This is only the latest sign of Cybertron's reformatting since the planet was moved to the Alpha Centauri system and given access to solar energy. The Highroad, the Old Maintenance Centre, the shifts in the Warrens... the end result is clear: A fully powered and revitalized Cybertron--the most powerful war machine this galaxy has ever seen. Decepticons, this is our road to conquest!" Shockwave leans back, "Of course, Blast Off has recognized a second possibility... that Cybertron is simply tearing itself apart and will soon be destroyed." The Guardian of Cybertron waves his hand dismissively, showing no love of nostalgia, "In that event, we will evacuate with everything and leave the Autobots to perish." "Shockwave out." Autobot Message: 3/111 Posted Author AAR: Geyser Crater Wed Jun 05 Hardhead ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *VIDEO REPORT* <'Hardheads haggard face appears on the screen, insecticon guts may be running down his face> "Autobots, I have just seen..." Grunting, '''Hardhead' shifts his report feed to show his combat recorder. The playback shows a large old styled Cybertronian Apartment Building that seems to rise out of the bottom of Geyser Crater, the building rises steadily, 10, 20, 30, 40 plus stories into the sky. Suddenly, the view is the obscured by a damaged and battered giant Insecticon's dead body. After a long pause, the frame shifts again, showing the building and the Decepticons pouring over the building, looking for an entrance. Camera shakes and spins as it becomes clear that Hardhead is now retreating. "Alright, Brain-Bots. I found a mystery for you...time to put those overblown processors to work figuring out, what the slag this building is, and how it managed to rise from the crater. Also, want in the name of Primus are the Decepticons doing with that building. Be aware that it looks to be heavily defended by Decepticons. I could not locate any survivors from the missing Gunship from the previous Raids in the area. It appears they fought valiantly, but did not survive. They should be listed as K.I.A." Hardhead moves to end his report, but pauses, "Repugnus, looks like you won't have to think of something nice to say after all..." Hardhead then ends the report. *END VIDEO REPORT*